Leslie Brenner

With less then a week left in the season and the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season title still up for grabs the Denison softball team split a key league doubleheader with Ohio Wesleyan University on Thursday in Granville.  The Big Red pulled out a 3-2 win in the opener and suffered a 3-0 setback in game two.

DU erased a one run deficit in the fourth inning when junior catcher Brie Berkopec (Mars, Pa./Mars Senior) crushed a two-run home run to dead center. The Big Red tacked on another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Emily Croll (Oak Harbor, Ohio/Oak Harbor). OWU trimmed the margin to 3-2 in the top of the seventh but Denison pitcher Leslie Brenner (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) got Kaylie Titus to line out to third to secure the win. Brenner scattered five hits and allowed two runs (one earned) in her complete-game performance.

All the Battling Bishops needed in the nightcap was a three-run outing in the opening frame. Big Red junior Alex Murray (Mayfield Hts., Ohio/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) went 2-for-3 in game two with a double. Hurler Sam Rumschlag (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) went the distance allowing three runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts.

Ohio Wesleyan's Tara Van Vranken went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in game two. OWU pitcher Rachel Seibel tossed all 13 innings of the twinbill surrendering just three runs off 12 hits and stuck out 10.

DU is now 20-13 overall and 10-2 in the NCAC while the Battling Bishops sit at 20-11-1 on the year and 5-3 in league play. Denison closes out their conference schedule on Saturday at Hiram College. First pitch from Hiram is slated for 1:00 p.m.

Game 1 Box [htm]

Game 2 Box [htm]